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WPMU + Helpdesk integration (19 posts)

  1. StianH
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Greetings,

    Seeing as the WPMU community I am administrating is growing a little each day, requests for support are increasing. Currently people can request support via e-mail, or asking questions as comments on various posts in a dedicated support blog.

    This could get messy over time with a continued increase in users and supportrequests, so I am looking into software to use for handling support.

    Even though a small database updatescript run as a background process every now and then would probably be quite sufficient, it of course also has it's weaknesses (new users and new passords would not work in the helpdesk until the update runs). So what would be really cool was a solution that allready existed to use WPMU users in a helpdesk.

    Has anyone done any sort of integration with helpdesk software like this before?

  2. SteveAtty
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    BBPress has a "support ticket" plug-in and BBpress integrates quite well with WPMU

  3. drmiketemp
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    I have an inhouse addin that passes the login information to a Cerberus helpdesk setup. Since Cerberus is not GPL'ed we can't release it though.

  4. Mattz
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Why can't you release your own Plugin ? That really has nothing todo with the software where you wrote the plugin for.

  5. demonicume
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    not sure of the intricacies of the gpl, but i'm very sure Dr Mike doesn't wanna be stuck with all the ridiculous questions that will - definitely - assail him were he to release the plugin... even if he could do it legally.

    bbpress with the suggested plugin is your best option. integration is a cinch and it even works with the avatar plugin.

  6. Mattz
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    The reason why I fond this topic is because of the fact that I'm looking for a Ticketsystem for each blog at the moment.

    Cerberus is not what I prefer, but I thought it was a strange reason why it could not be released if someone wanted it to have.

  7. lunabyte
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Just because you want it, doesn't mean it can be released.

  8. Mattz
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    As I said... I do not prefer it, so I don't need it at all.

    Please don't try to turn any words, it seems that you are on those kind of things here most of the time.

    The given reason is not valid.

    Such a loginshare is not very difficult to make, I made them for other software too without any problems.

    But this IN wordpress is much nicer ofcourse than attaching it next to it. SO if it should exist, why re-invent the wheel ?

  9. lunabyte
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    I'm not turning any words here, so maybe this is unfortunate that your English isn't well.

    The reason that person gave earlier was valid. He said it wasn't GPL. Whatever the license is, obviously prevents it in some form or fashion.

    I'm sorry that you don't like those terms, but there isn't anything you can do about it.

  10. Mattz
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    "Just because you want it, doesn't mean it can be released."

    Where did I say that I wanted it... I think my english is quite OK.

    "Since Cerberus is not GPL'ed we can't release it though."

    Why would it ?

    If you write a plugin for kayako you can do with it what you want and even kayako is not GPL...

    Addins to systems have nothing to do with GPL at all !

  11. lunabyte
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    You said: "Why can't you release your own Plugin?"

    Which makes it seem like you wanted it. If it was available, you'd have most likely used it, or at least gave it a shot.

    "That really has nothing todo with the software where you wrote the plugin for."

    A license has everything to do with the software you write a plugin for.

    One of many examples: Joomla (I don't like it, this is for illustration only.)
    According to the Free Software Foundation, if you build a plugin/add-on for a GPL licensed product, that code must also be GPL.

    It's a strict definition, yes. And yes, the original holder can allow exceptions. However, if there are exceptions, then the GPL isn't exactly the GPL, it's the GPL with exceptions.

    SMF just went through this huge hassle with their add-on/mod/plugin/bridge for Joomla, and it didn't turn out well. Joomla wouldn't allow their bridge, because the FSW told them that even if their bridge was GPL, it was bridging a GPL product to a non-GPL product (SMF has their own license).

    So, yes, add-on's to a system absolutely have everything to do with the license of the original system. That license, or the owners of that license, may allow for exceptions but it isn't a guarantee.

    Kayako may not be GPL, but we're not talking about that. We're talking about Cerberus, and obviously that person feels that their custom coded login plugin/add-on would in some way violate the Cerberus license by distributing it.

  12. Mattz
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    You are suggesting that I would give it a shot, that is your option, but because this is a forum I can respond freely on things that I read, I this topic came up in my search.

    Because you were suggesting I would give it a try, I can tell you directly that I wouldn't have... I have chosen kayako a several of times above Cerberus, so why waste time again ?

    I was not talking about Joomla too ;)

    About the Joomla/SMF issue is really not related to this issue.

    I know there have been hacks around for Cerberus too for specific systems and Cerberus never had any problems with it, I asked them personally by email, but they just don't support those hacks that are not tested.

    My opinion is very simple.. the TopicStarter was not helped in any way by that post. It's like giving a dog some meat and attach the dog to a rope that is not long enough to reach the meat.

    I think you know what I mean ;)

  13. theapparatus
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    The code can not be legally given out to any third party. That is what is meant by "Can't be given out." End of discussion.

  14. Mattz
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    The question remains on what terms you suggest this, that is the discussion.

    I have the idea that you can't or won't release the internal development and Cerberus has nothing to do with it at all.

    Actually Cerberus would not care, if they can sell another Cerberus license because of a plugin someone made that is a win win solution for both, so I don't see Cerberus making any problems about it.

    So please comment on that part in a detailed way.

    This is quite "vague".

  15. DailyTestimony
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Personally I just use email, but I have a system of keeping the emails orginized. Adding a help desk isn't going to give you less suppoert requets than using email it just helps orginize things, I found a way to orginize emails.

    First I signed up for google apps with my domain (google.com/a), they will try to sell you the premium one but all you need is the free one. I would not use your support email as the main admin they want you to setup, i just made one called mailadmin@mydomain then create an account for support from there. Verify your domain ownership, and setup your email address(es), once your eveyrhing is verified and working, then change your MX record, to route the mail to googles servers. You will have a url to log into your email, it will use the gmail style interface.

    Next I setup some labels to tag messages, new support request, handled support request, new abuse report, handled abuse report, new premium support, premium support. You use filters to look at each email comming in and label it accordingly and in some cases star it. Starred messages are priority messages such as from premium members, or abuse requests in my case. I look at the subject to determain if its a abuse request, otherwise if not I assume its a support request. I will flag it as a premium support request if it's from an email address of one of my premium users so its easy to give some users preference.

    When going though email I start with the unread starred messages, then the other unreead messages. I remove the new label and add the handled label while I am handling the case. After is all finished, the emails can be deleted. I also implimented the vacation responder to send a message once someone sends us an email as a notice that we have received it.

    God Bless

  16. Mattz
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    This could be possible as well indeed.

    Maybe I can work on a very simple system that mails a form and also registers a ticket into the WP-DB just for saving it.

    More ideas are always welcome.

  17. suleiman
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Oh gheeze, everybody's an attorney. Sometimes these forums do bring more entertaining debate my law courses though.. :)

  18. theapparatus
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Suleiman, you don't have one on retainer? I wouldn't be running a public mu site without one.

  19. suleiman
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    I'm a 3rd year law student specializing in Corporate Law, so I should be golden doc but thanks for the tip.

    All goes well and I should be hanging up my shingle sometime this August

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